Deltona leaders need temp on City Commission

Tuesday

Jun 24, 2014 at 9:45 AM

By Mark Harpermark.harper@news-jrnl.com

DELTONA — With an important review of city spending priorities looming next month, the City Commission needs help. And fast.District 5 Commissioner Fred Lowry’s resignation last week after selling his home and moving to Enterprise leaves a vacancy commissioners are required by city charter to fill within 30 days. They agreed Monday on a plan to find the right replacement.The city will advertise its vacancy, seeking eligible residents to fill out a board/committee application by July 1. Commissioners will review the candidates and vote at a special meeting at 6 p.m. July 7.The candidate selected will likely only serve four months, as Lowry’s seat is up for election and the new District 5 commissioner will take office in mid-November.Victor Ramos and Brian Soukup have qualified to run in the Aug. 26 primary.But commissioners agreed they would rather not appoint one of them to fill the vacancy.“I don’t think it’s wise to put one of the two candidates in there,” Commissioner Nancy Schleicher said. “That would leave us looking like we as a commission are trying to fill the seat, and it can become a political nightmare.” Other commissioners mentioned a couple of names.When Commissioner Chris Nabicht noted the months in which the interim commissioner will serve, budget time, he asked whether any former commissioners still live in District 5, which covers much of the city’s northeast side.Schleicher said former Commissioner Janet Deyette still lives in her former district.“Who has more experience than a former commissioner?” Nabicht asked.But Commissioner Zenaida Denizac touted David McKnight, a longtime city volunteer and, until recently, chairman of the Planning and Zoning Board.Vice Mayor Heidi Herzberg, who had appointed McKnight in March only to see him resign in May, said she would not support him because he had said he didn’t have the time to chair the planning board.Commissioners then agreed to open up the process and see who applies. The interim commissioner will have only two full days before a budget review with the city staff at 8:30 a.m. July 10.